Abstract
Abstract The yeast phase of P. brasiliensis is poorly phagocytosed by “stimulated” mouse peritoneal macrophages in culture. However, either heterologous (sera from patients with South American Blastomycosis) or homologous antibodies (sera from mice chronically infected with P. brasiliensis) greatly enhanced the phagocytosis of P. brasiliensis organisms by macrophages. The same effect was observed when guinea-pig, mouse, or human sera were added to the fungus-macrophage cultures. Heating of the sera at 56°C or the addition of EDTA to the system completely abolished this effect. Conversely, EGTA had no effect. These data indicate that the alternative pathway of complement activation is involved in the expression of this phenomenon. This conclusion is further supported by the fact that Cobra venom Factor (CoF) treated serum, properdin, or factor B depleted serum had no opsonic properties. When yeast cells of P. brasiliensis were incubated with fresh normal serum, the third component of the complement system changed its electophoretic mobility of β1C to β1A.
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